Dispersion in Optical Pulses

This lecture explores the propagation of chirped Gaussian pulses in optical systems, focusing on neglecting nonlinearities and losses, using the Fourier transform method to derive the general solution, and analyzing changes in pulse width with propagation distance. The instructor discusses how the pulse width evolves, quantifies broadening factors, defines the dispersion length, and explains the compression of chirped pulses. Various cases of chirped pulses are examined, showing how pulse width changes based on the chirp parameter. The lecture concludes by determining the minimum pulse width and the distance at which it occurs, highlighting the behavior of chirped pulses compared to unchirped ones.